Thermostat switching circuitry robust against anomalous HVAC control line conditions

• US 9,612,031 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Conner, Brian J., Warren, Daniel Adam, Buenaventura, Orville, Ayoubi, Michael, Satterthwaite, Edwin H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US14/591,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20160195294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 307116
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/32 preventing human errors during the installation, use or maintenance, e.g. goofy proof
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/06 by measuring current and voltage G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/00 Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere measuring superconductive properties G01R33/1238; testing or measuring semiconductors or solid state devices during manufacture H01L22/00; testing line transmission systems H04B3/46

Abstract

A thermostat may include HVAC wire connectors that receive a call relay wire and a power return wire, switching elements having a first operating state in which they create a connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire and a second operating state in which the connection between the call relay wire and the power return wire is interrupted. The thermostat may also include control circuitry configured to cause the switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate an HVAC function; detect an anomaly associated with measurements from power monitoring circuitry; cause the switching elements to operate in the second operating state for at least a first time interval; and after the expiration of the first time interval, cause the one or more switching elements to operate in the first operating state and determine whether the anomaly is still present.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a plurality of HVAC wire connectors configured to receive a plurality of HVAC wires from an HVAC system, the plurality of HVAC wire connectors comprising at least one call relay wire connector and at least one power return wire connector;

one or more solid-state switching elements coupled to the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector, the one or more solid-state switching elements having a first operating state in which the one or more solid-state switching elements create a connection between the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector, the one or more solid-state switching elements also having a second operating state in which said connection between the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector is interrupted;

power monitoring circuitry coupled to the one or more solid-state switching elements that measures voltage and/or current characteristics of the one or more solid-state switching elements during times when the one or more solid-state switching elements are operating in the first operating state;

processing and control circuitry coupled to the power monitoring circuitry and configured to control at least one HVAC function associated with the at least one call relay wire connector, wherein the processing and control circuitry is further configured to;

cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate the at least one HVAC function;

during times when the at least one HVAC function is actuated, detect an anomaly associated with the voltage and/or current measurements from the power monitoring circuitry;

in response to detecting the anomaly, cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state for at least a first time interval;

after the expiration of the first time interval, cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the first operating state and determine whether the anomaly is still present.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing and control circuitry is further configured to:

after the expiration of the first time interval, and if the anomaly is still present, make one or more additional attempts to (i) cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state for at least the first time interval, (ii) cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to return to the first operating state after the expiration of the first time interval, and (iii) determine whether the anomaly is still present;

determine that the one or more additional attempts has exceeded a threshold number of attempts;

cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state; and

provide an error indication on a user interface of the thermostat.

3. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing and control circuitry comprises:

a first integrated circuit (IC) comprising a microprocessor; and

a second IC comprising the power monitoring circuitry, the one or more solid-state switching elements, and a drive circuit for the one or more solid-state switching elements.

4. The thermostat of claim 3, wherein the second IC is isolated from other circuitry in the thermostat through one or more isolation capacitors, wherein the second IC and the first IC communicate with each other using clocked pulses.

5. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the second IC is powered by the clocked pulses provided by the first IC.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the anomaly associated with the voltage and/or current measurements from the power monitoring circuitry comprises a current running through the one or more solid-state switching elements exceeding approximately 4.0 A.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the thermostat further comprises:

power stealing circuitry that is coupled to the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector, wherein during times when the at least one HVAC function is actuated, the processing and control circuitry is configured to cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state for a second time interval, the second time interval being short enough that the HVAC function is not interrupted while the power stealing circuitry charges a power storage element during the second time interval.

8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the power monitoring circuitry comprises a first terminal and a second terminal associated with the one or more solid-state switching elements, wherein the anomaly is detected by monitoring a voltage difference between the first terminal and the second terminal.

9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the one or more solid-state switching elements comprises a first field effect transistor (FET) and a second FET in series.

10. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing and control circuitry is further configured to send an indication of the anomaly to a remotely-located thermostat monitoring server.

11. A method of actuating HVAC functions using a thermostat while providing electrical isolation from electrical anomalies, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of HVAC wire connectors configured to receive a plurality of HVAC wires from an HVAC system, the plurality of HVAC wire connectors comprising at least one call relay wire connector and at least one power return wire connector;

providing one or more solid-state switching elements coupled to the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector, the one or more solid-state switching elements having a first operating state in which the one or more solid-state switching elements create a connection between the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector, the one or more solid-state switching elements also having a second operating state in which said connection between the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector is interrupted;

measuring voltage and/or current characteristics of the one or more solid-state switching elements during times when the one or more solid-state switching elements are operating in the first operating state using power monitoring circuitry coupled to the one or more solid-state switching elements;

controlling at least one HVAC function associated with the at least one call relay wire connector using processing and control circuitry coupled to the power monitoring circuitry;

causing the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the first operating state to actuate the at least one HVAC function;

during times when the at least one HVAC function is actuated, detecting an anomaly associated with the voltage and/or current measurements from the power monitoring circuitry;

in response to detecting the anomaly, causing the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state for at least a first time interval;

after the expiration of the first time interval, causing the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the first operating state and determine whether the anomaly is still present.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

after the expiration of the first time interval, and if the anomaly is still present, making one or more additional attempts to (i) cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state for at least the first time interval, (ii) cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to return to the first operating state after the expiration of the first time interval, and (iii) determine whether the anomaly is still present;

determining that the one or more additional attempts has exceeded a threshold number of attempts;

causing the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state; and

providing an error indication on a user interface of the thermostat.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the processing and control circuitry comprises:

a first integrated circuit (IC) comprising a microprocessor; and

a second IC comprising the power monitoring circuitry, the one or more solid-state switching elements, and a drive circuit for the one or more solid-state switching elements.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second IC is isolated from other circuitry in the thermostat through one or more isolation capacitors, wherein the second IC and the first IC communicate with each other using clocked pulses.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second IC is powered by the clocked pulses provided by the first IC.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the anomaly associated with the voltage and/or current measurements from the power monitoring circuitry comprises a current running through the one or more solid-state switching elements exceeding approximately 4.0 A.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermostat further comprises:

power stealing circuitry that is coupled to the at least one call relay wire connector and the at least one power return wire connector, wherein during times when the at least one HVAC function is actuated, the processing and control circuitry is configured to cause the one or more solid-state switching elements to operate in the second operating state for a second time interval, the second time interval being short enough that the HVAC function is not interrupted while the power stealing circuitry charges a power storage element during the second time interval.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the power monitoring circuitry comprises a first terminal and a second terminal associated with the one or more solid-state switching elements, wherein the anomaly is detected by monitoring a voltage difference between the first terminal and the second terminal.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more solid-state switching elements comprises a first field effect transistor (FET) and a second FET in series.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the processing and control circuitry is further configured to send an indication of the anomaly to a remotely-located thermostat monitoring server.